A SALTCOATS man has been chosen as 'volunteer of the year' by a Scottish personal safety charity based in Ardrossan.

Craig Bainbridge was praised for his "dedication, reliability and professionalism" at the Scottish Centre for Personal Safety (SCPS).

The charity's founder, Alan Bell, said Craig, who has been part of the charity's team for the last five years, was a popular instructor at the centre.

Alan added: "Craig joined our charity in 2019, passing his level two instructor exams in December of that year.

"Since then he has been a stalwart of our instructor team, championing our Thursday night Krav Maga classes for women and children, making them his own.

"He's extremely popular with the kids attending our Barony St John Centre and helps train vulnerable people on our numerous courses including personal safety for people with learning disabilities, personal safety for women, and personal safety in the workplace."

Alan continued: "Over the last year, Craig's dedication, reliability and professionalism have shone through making him the obvious choice for this year's ScotCPS Volunteer for the Year award. 

"Many thanks Craig for your volunteer service and huge congratulations from myself and all the team on this wonderful achievement."

Craig said: "The award was quite a surprise. I had no idea about it.

"My favourite part of being a volunteer instructor is to see people gain more control, become more confident and feel their can deal with their own challenges."